The Ultimate Home Energy Audit Quiz

With escalating costs for oil, gas and electricity many people are turning to a professional energy audit to help them find ways to trim dollars off their yearly energy consumption tab. You can do your own energy audit or you can turn to a professional with specialized equipment to perform an audit on your behalf. Take our quiz to learn what needs to be checked and what changes can save you money on energy.

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Question 1 of 15

What is a good way to assess your home energy consumption to identify ways to reduce energy costs?

You should rent a spectrometer and use it to identify leaks in your home envelope.

You should engage the services of an environmental engineering group to recommend improvements to your home

You should invest some time or cash in a home energy audit.

You should consider a home energy audit to help you identify energy usage that costs you more than it should. An energy audit can be a simple task you perform yourself or you can hire an expert to conduct a more comprehensive audit.

Question 2 of 15

Making a typical home more energy efficient can shave about:

30 percent off your current energy costs

According to DIY Network, making your home more energy efficient using results from an energy audit can shave more than 30 percent off your current energy costs. In addition to cash savings, you will also reduce your carbon footprint.

25 percent off your current energy costs

20 percent off your current energy costs

Question 3 of 15

What is the major focus of any home energy audit?

The major focus of any home energy audit is the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems.

The major focus of any home energy audit is the tightness of your homes envelope.

Although the efficiency of heating or cooling systems and of major appliances is included in any audit, the tightness of your home's envelope is the major focus. Inefficiencies in the integrity of your home's envelope is responsible for a large percentage of energy use that you have control over.

The major focus of any home energy audit is the age and efficiency of your major appliances.

Question 4 of 15

What is a good analogy of the role that insulation plays in the energy efficiency of your home?

Insulation is like putting a sweater on your home to keep the heat in or the cold out in the winter.

Insulation is like putting a sweater on your home to keep the cool in or the hot out in the summer.

Both of the above statements are correct concerning insulation.

Having insulation in your home is like wrapping it in a sweater that can keep cold out and warm in during winter and the reverse in the summer. The problem in many older homes is that the sweater is not thick enough to do an adequate job.

Question 5 of 15

What is an important task to take care of whether you do your own audit or hire a professional?

You should only schedule an energy audit in the spring or fall when weather is not extreme.

You should gather up all of your energy bills from the last couple of years and have them on hand for evaluation.

You should gather up energy bills from the last couple of years and have them on hand for evaluation. If you have not saved your bills, you should request copies from your energy suppliers.

You should have your furnace and air conditioner professionally serviced just before the day of your audit.

Question 6 of 15

Where are some of the first places you should be checking for air leaks in your homes envelope?

Electrical outlets, switch plates and spots where pipes enter or exit into unheated areas or to the outside.

Window or outside doors and their frames for missing caulking or worn seals.

Both of the above lists include areas where air infiltration is common.

You need to check electrical outlets, switch plates, spots where pipes enter or exit into unheated areas along with around windows and doors for missing caulking or worn seals. You should also check that your fireplace damper is closing off the chimney, which can suck a large quantity of warm air from your home in the winter.

Question 7 of 15

You can turn on exhaust fans to help you detect air leaks in your home, what else should you do to help make your leak test successful?

Make sure that your furnace, air-conditioner and your oil or gas water heater are turned off.

Make sure that your furnace, air-conditioner and your oil or gas water heater are turned off and that all of your windows are closed tightly including any skylights.

Do your air leak test in the daytime so that you can turn off all the lights while you search.

Open your skylights if you have any to allow more air to escape from your home to better uncover air leaks.

Question 8 of 15

What is a vapor barrier as it applies to a home?

A vapor barrier is a plastic sheet installed in a bathroom between ceramic tiles and the plaster or drywall underneath.

A vapor barrier is heavy plastic sheeting applied and sealed on top of insulation in an attic.

A vapor barrier is heavy plastic sheeting applied and sealed below the insulation in an attic.

A vapor barrier is usually plastic but may be foil-covered paper that is placed under insulation in the attic or over insulation in walls before a layer of plaster or gypsum drywall is applied. The purpose of a vapor barrier is to keep warm moisture from your home away from the insulation.

Question 9 of 15

How can you determine the R-value of fiberglass insulation in your attic?

Multiply the thickness of existing batts in inches and multiply by 3.2, which is the R-value per inch of fiberglass.

The formula for determining the R-value of fiberglass batting is to multiply the thickness in inches by 3.2, which is the R-value per inch of fiberglass batting. For loose granules of perlite R-value per inch is 2.7 and for loose rock wool fiber the R-value is 2.8 per inch.

Multiply the thickness of existing batts in inches and multiply by 4.5, which is the R-value per inch of fiberglass.

Multiply the thickness of existing batts in inches and multiply by 5.1, which is the R-value per inch of fiberglass.

Question 10 of 15

At what age should you consider replacing a furnace or air conditioner?

12 years

15 years

Technology in heating and air conditioning has come a long way over the last 15 years, so it may be wise to replace your systems if they are 15 years or older. Remember that at 15 years these systems are nearing the end of their average lifespan anyway.

20 years

Question 11 of 15

How often should you have a professional tune-up and check over your heating and cooling systems?

Experts recommend that you have your heating and air-conditioning units checked once every three months.

Experts recommend that you have your heating and air-conditioning units checked once every six months.

Experts recommend that you have your heating and air-conditioning units checked once a year.

Experts recommend that you have your heating and air-conditioning units checked once a year. It is best to have this professional servicing performed at the start of each heating and cooling season.

Question 12 of 15

What tests should you expect a professional energy auditor to perform with specialized equipment?

A test for carbon monoxide gas emitted from combustion units such as a furnace.

A test for out gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOC) while your home is sealed.

A thermo-graphic test of air leaks while the calibrated blower door test is running.

Your auditor should use a calibrated blower door test to check how well your home is sealed against outside drafts, and a thermo-graphic inspection to detect any leaks. A professional audit should also include a check of leaks in the duct system and a test of the heating and air conditioning units.

Question 13 of 15

What is an advantage of replacing older major appliances, such as refrigerators, for new EnergyStar certified appliances?

You will use from 10 to 50 percent less energy with newer EnergyStar certified appliances.

If your appliances are 10 or more years old, you will use from 10 to 50 percent less energy with newer EnergyStar certified appliances. This saving applies to appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers and air conditioners.

You will use from 15 to 40 percent less energy with newer EnergyStar certified appliances.

You will use from 20 to 60 percent less energy with newer EnergyStar certified appliances.

Question 14 of 15

Approximately, how much should a professional home energy audit cost you?

A thorough home energy audit should cost only about $170.

A thorough home energy audit should cost only about $200.

A thorough home energy audit usually costs no more than $200, and your utility company may have a program in place to finance part of the fee. You will likely save the cost of the audit in energy savings over the first year.

A thorough home energy audit should cost only about $250.

Question 15 of 15

What is a way to save energy dollars that almost anyone can take care of in their home?

Invest in and install an EnergyStar programmable thermostat for your heating and air conditioning.

Change incandescent bulbs for compact florescent bulbs.

Both of the above are excellent energy saving suggestions.

By installing a programmable thermostat, you can save $180 a year on heating and air conditioning costs. Changing incandescent bulbs for compact florescent bulbs will save 75 percent on each bulb compared to equivalent light from an incandescent light bulb.